User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 20
  1. #1
    Left The Driveway caterpillar345's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2022
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    5
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Full Timing in 315RLTS vs 337RLS

    Hi all,
    As mentioned in my Welcome Mat post, I am a civil engineer and soon to be living full time on a remote construction project. Based on the lack of other housing options, I decided that a TT or 5W made the most sense for my full-time living arrangement. Hoping to get some insight before purchasing in the next couple weeks.

    Use details:
    This trailer would spend most of it's life in the Pacific Northwest-ish (i.e. not living in the oil fields of ND). The trailer is going to spend most of the time over the next 2-5 years parked to live in rather than on the road moving between campgrounds. I'm the only one who will be using it regularly (single late-20's male). I believe I have enough pickup (see signature) to tow a decent sized trailer. Tow capacity is 13,500 lbs and payload is 2,640 lbs. I have plenty of experience towing bumper pull and gooseneck trailers with equipment but haven't towed a 5W before. My truck has a B&W turnover ball and a B&W companion 5th wheel hitch so I can tow whichever I end up going with.

    Since it will be my full-time home, the two most important factors to me are kitchen (counter) space and having a decent four-seasons package because it will get used all winter. This really narrowed my options, especially the counter space!

    My search so far has led me to the Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS and the 337RLS. Or possibly an Arctic Fox 29RK TT or Grand Ronde 5W.

    First a general question - has anyone had any experience with or seriously considered an Arctic Fox TT or 5W? Know how they might compare for full-timing and four-season living?

    Second - I'm really torn between the 315 and 337, likely in the 2022 model year. Both are available new at a dealer near me and should be deeply discounted at this time (end of 2022). Currently the 337 is about $8k more. They appear to be nearly identical floor plans. I understand that almost everyone who has towed both prefers a 5W. However, I expect this trailer is going to spend most of its life parked and only towed maybe once or twice a year. The biggest advantage I see to the TT is being able to keep my bed space. Biggest advantage to the 5W is the additional storage space and a little roomier inside (which is more air to heat in the winter...).

    Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your experiences!
    Traveling civil engineer.
    Planning to full-time in a Reflection TT or 5W.
    2003 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW 5.9L Cummins M6 4x4 Long Bed

  2. #2
    Site Team Redapple63's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    2,761
    Mentioned
    26 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Full Timing in 315RLTS vs 337RLS

    Quote Originally Posted by caterpillar345 View Post
    Hi all,
    As mentioned in my Welcome Mat post, I am a civil engineer and soon to be living full time on a remote construction project. Based on the lack of other housing options, I decided that a TT or 5W made the most sense for my full-time living arrangement. Hoping to get some insight before purchasing in the next couple weeks.

    Use details:
    This trailer would spend most of it's life in the Pacific Northwest-ish (i.e. not living in the oil fields of ND). The trailer is going to spend most of the time over the next 2-5 years parked to live in rather than on the road moving between campgrounds. I'm the only one who will be using it regularly (single late-20's male). I believe I have enough pickup (see signature) to tow a decent sized trailer. Tow capacity is 13,500 lbs and payload is 2,640 lbs. I have plenty of experience towing bumper pull and gooseneck trailers with equipment but haven't towed a 5W before. My truck has a B&W turnover ball and a B&W companion 5th wheel hitch so I can tow whichever I end up going with.

    Since it will be my full-time home, the two most important factors to me are kitchen (counter) space and having a decent four-seasons package because it will get used all winter. This really narrowed my options, especially the counter space!

    My search so far has led me to the Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS and the 337RLS. Or possibly an Arctic Fox 29RK TT or Grand Ronde 5W.

    First a general question - has anyone had any experience with or seriously considered an Arctic Fox TT or 5W? Know how they might compare for full-timing and four-season living?

    Second - I'm really torn between the 315 and 337, likely in the 2022 model year. Both are available new at a dealer near me and should be deeply discounted at this time (end of 2022). Currently the 337 is about $8k more. They appear to be nearly identical floor plans. I understand that almost everyone who has towed both prefers a 5W. However, I expect this trailer is going to spend most of its life parked and only towed maybe once or twice a year. The biggest advantage I see to the TT is being able to keep my bed space. Biggest advantage to the 5W is the additional storage space and a little roomier inside (which is more air to heat in the winter...).

    Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your experiences!
    Good Morning,

    I think you nailed the differences between the 315 and 337, they are in fact identical floor plans. We have the 315 and love it. You are right that the ceiling is a bit low in the 337, but a minor adjustment.

    Even as a stationary place the storage of the 337 does make it easier to full time and get rid of the natural clutter that goes with the lifestyle of limited storage. You need to decide if the storage is worth the additional 8k.

    Good Luck and please let us know which direction you decide!

    Bill
    2019 GMC 3500 SRW Sierra Denali Duramax
    2020 Reflection 315RLTS

  3. #3
    Setting Up Camp
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Versailles, KY
    Posts
    33
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Welcome to the forum ... sounds like a fun long-term work project, preceded by a fun long-term accommodations research analysis. Assuming your employer is paying for your lodging expenses, you'll end the job with a gently used tt/rv all for yourself ... nice little bonus! I'm not going to be able to provide comparison info like Bill did, really just more interested in which one you choose. I read a real estate book a while ago, which wrote about how people go about deciding which house to buy. Talked about how engineers especially will try to quantify every criteria and calculate a total score for each house, and then purport to use that as the basis on which to choose the "best" house. The author concluded that the most successful (long-term) home purchasers do lots of analysis as well, but then end up making their decision based on which house just "felt right."

    All that said, Darcy and I own a 2020 315RLTS and spend 3 months living in it down in sunny FLA every winter. We're for sure not tt/rv experts, but have been delighted with our trailer. Provides all the comforts of home, with an efficient, well-conceived design, reliable components, and high quality construction, if the folks on this forum are to be believed.

    Do come back and let us know what you decide, along with the deciding factor. Have fun!
    Dave Gaines
    Kentucky Gentleman Farmer
    1997 F-350 Quad Cab
    2020 Grand Design 315RLTS

  4. #4
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Texas Fulltimers
    Posts
    2,551
    Mentioned
    32 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Redapple63 View Post
    Good Morning,

    I think you nailed the differences between the 315 and 337, they are in fact identical floor plans. We have the 315 and love it. You are right that the ceiling is a bit low in the 337, but a minor adjustment.

    Even as a stationary place the storage of the 337 does make it easier to full time and get rid of the natural clutter that goes with the lifestyle of limited storage. You need to decide if the storage is worth the additional 8k.

    Good Luck and please let us know which direction you decide!

    Bill
    The 315 and 337 as said, are the same floor plan really and our Solitude 3350RL (no longer made) is the same plan, just a little bigger and a little better insulated, but not that much when talking about Northwest winters. The 337 was on our radar but the Solitude we bought had just that much more. A 5th wheel does provide more head room and storage but do you really have a lot to store? All the so called four season packages are fluff, so dead winter camping especially in the Northwest, keeping the unit warm I think is your primary factor. Skirting the bottom of the trailer will pay big dividends keeping the trailer warm in the winter and good windows like double pane makes a difference in winter and summer. The 315 would be a little easier skirting that than the 337.
    Don't worry about towing, it's not really that different than towing any other trailer, except for height, but yes towing a 5th wheel verses a TT is indeed different. Sorry i don't know anything about Artic Fox.

    Just my .02
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  5. #5
    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Wherever...
    Posts
    9,016
    Mentioned
    187 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Late to the game, here - sorry. The 337, when loaded, can put between 2,700 and 3,100 lbs. on the pin. Your stated payload is not enough for that fiver. Whatever you do - GD or not - make sure you get dual pane windows.

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

  6. #6
    Long Hauler
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    All over - Full-timing
    Posts
    2,557
    Mentioned
    46 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    Late to the game, here - sorry. The 337, when loaded, can put between 2,700 and 3,100 lbs. on the pin. Your stated payload is not enough for that fiver. Whatever you do - GD or not - make sure you get dual pane windows.

    Rob
    +1 on the dual pane windows!
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  7. #7
    Left The Driveway caterpillar345's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2022
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    5
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    Late to the game, here - sorry. The 337, when loaded, can put between 2,700 and 3,100 lbs. on the pin. Your stated payload is not enough for that fiver. Whatever you do - GD or not - make sure you get dual pane windows.

    Rob
    Noted on the 337 pin weight. I'll have to play around with loading the trailer and how that affects the pin weight. And probably not haul it fully loaded. Good time to go use the CAT scale!
    Traveling civil engineer.
    Planning to full-time in a Reflection TT or 5W.
    2003 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW 5.9L Cummins M6 4x4 Long Bed

  8. #8
    Left The Driveway caterpillar345's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2022
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    5
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    @Steven@147
    Thanks for the input. Unfortunately it's not in the cards to order a new trailer from the factory and none of the new trailers on lots have dual pane windows. The dealers tell me that more people have issues with them fogging because road vibration allows condensation inside. I'll have to figure out my own solution for insulating the windows in the summer/winter.

    Definitely will be looking into skirting. I'd love to get one from Custom Skirting but I don't really want to pull the trailer to South Dakota to do it.
    Last edited by caterpillar345; 12-26-2022 at 08:24 PM. Reason: Change referenced handle
    Traveling civil engineer.
    Planning to full-time in a Reflection TT or 5W.
    2003 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW 5.9L Cummins M6 4x4 Long Bed

  9. #9
    Left The Driveway caterpillar345's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2022
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    5
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    @KY Gentleman Farmer

    assuming your employer is paying for your lodging expenses, you'll end the job with a gently used tt/rv all for yourself ... nice little bonus!
    You got it! That's the idea anyway. I don't know about "gently" used - since I'll be living in it full time. But I guess I have full control over how well I treat it!

    Talked about how engineers especially will try to quantify every criteria and calculate a total score for each house, and then purport to use that as the basis on which to choose the "best" house.
    I resemble that remark... it didn't take very long into my RV research to realize I couldn't keep the model numbers, weights, and floorplans straight... so with about a thousand browser tabs open, I fired up Excel and began hammering out a comparison spreadsheet for key information and, yes, a weighted scoring system for the "subjective" data. The subjective data was bedroom space, kitchen space, living area space, and price. I scored each trailer I considered and then I could sort the list by whatever measure I chose.

    The author concluded that the most successful (long-term) home purchasers do lots of analysis as well, but then end up making their decision based on which house just "felt right."
    Surprisingly, this seems to be how it went. I figured the data analysis method would just lead me to the "best" one, by the numbers! But at the end of the day, I found myself stuck between the 315 and 337. So I finally went to a dealer who had both trailers, same 2022 model year, and spent about an hour by myself sitting in one, thinking about it, wandering around a little, and then walking over to the other one and doing the same. Also, my initial analysis did not reveal that some RV manufacturer warranties are void if it's used full time (looking at you, Forest River...)!! That is one reason I ended up looking at Grand Design.

    At the end of that exercise, I decided the 337 made more sense. I saw a comment somewhere about how having more storage space may be useful, even if the trailer is parked long-term in the same spot. When I really looked at the pass-through storage in each trailer, I decided that whichever way I went, that was ALL the storage I would have at the campground I'd be staying at. If I have a grill or a folding table or my ski gear or whatever, it needs to go somewhere and I won't have a garage! And in a seemingly "stupid" little thing, sitting in the 337 I thought the hanging clear light fixtures would add some nice ambiance to the living area while living there full time. Also, the kitchen counter space is notably larger in the 337 than the 315. The space next to the stove top is nearly a foot wider and the hutch counter is both deeper and wider.

    So, the conclusion is that I'm going with the 337RLS. It's a bit on the heavy side for my pickup but I figure I'm not planning to tow it very often (maybe 1x per year or less) so I'll pack carefully to manage the pin weight and make a second trip if necessary.

    Thanks for all the feedback! I'm looking forward to being a GD owner!
    Traveling civil engineer.
    Planning to full-time in a Reflection TT or 5W.
    2003 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW 5.9L Cummins M6 4x4 Long Bed

  10. #10
    Long Hauler huntindog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    2,177
    Mentioned
    33 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by caterpillar345 View Post
    @Steven@147
    Thanks for the input. Unfortunately it's not in the cards to order a new trailer from the factory and none of the new trailers on lots have dual pane windows. The dealers tell me that more people have issues with them fogging because road vibration allows condensation inside. I'll have to figure out my own solution for insulating the windows in the summer/winter.

    Definitely will be looking into skirting. I'd love to get one from Custom Skirting but I don't really want to pull the trailer to South Dakota to do it.
    Dealers gave me a ton of reasons not to get DP as well....All it meant is they wanted to sell me what they had on hand. This is the first DP window unit we have had... It will NOT be the last. The only downside I see is the initial cost. Once you get over that, you would love them
    2021 398M Full Body Paint 8k axles. LRH tires. Disc brakes.
    Two bathrooms, no waiting 155 fresh, 104 black, 104 grey 1860 watts solar.
    800AH BattleBorn Batteries No campgrounds 100% boondocking
    2020 Silverado High Country 3500 dually crewcab Duramax Allison

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

DISCLAIMER:This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Grand Design RV, LLC or any of its affiliates. This is an independent site.